Bow presses are used to flex the limbs of archery bows so that the cables and/or bowstrings of the bow may be installed, repaired, or otherwise serviced when not in tension. The force required to flex the bow limbs in order to remove the bowstring and/or cables and perform other operations can require hundreds of pounds of force.
A typical shop bow press is stabilized at multiple points along the curvature of the bow (e.g., along the limbs of the bow). The force applied to compress the limbs of the bow is often applied by a crank along the direction of the arrow flight, which is perpendicular to the radius of curvature of the bow. The press is often located outside of the curvature of the bow limbs, so that the structure of the bow press impedes access to the bowstring, cables and other components. Most bow presses require training in order to properly compress bow limbs without damaging the riser or limbs.
Other bow presses, such as those intended for field include portable structure that contracts a bow using tension that is applied from the inside of the bow curvature, and often only from the ends of the bow limbs. These types of bow presses include tensioning features that are positioned in or near the path of the bowstring, cables and other components.
It is usually preferred to compress or flex the bow limbs by contacting the ends of the bow limbs. As such, the ends of the limbs must be able to tolerate a force along the direction of the bowstring at least equal to that applied by the bowstring(s) at the point of maximum draw, as that force is applied to the bow in use. Therefore, compound bows typically will be strong at the bow limb ends and tolerant of a force applied along the direction of the bowstring and cable at the bow limb ends, as that force is applied when the bowstring is drawn. Often, applying compression forces at only the ends of the bow limbs creates not only a horizontally applied force that compresses the bow, but also a vertical force that tends to urge the bow out of the bow press. These vertical forces may be especially prominent in scenarios where the limbs are compressed past a parallel arrangement in order to release the bowstring and/or cables. If the bow were to unintentionally release from the bow press during compression of the bow, those operating the press as well as surrounding equipment may be hurt or damaged.
There is therefore a need for improvements in bow presses to improve their efficiency, effectiveness, and ease of use.